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Show Volume VI, Issue I THE OGDEN VALLEY NEWS Page 3 April 15, 2002 Guest Commentary Would a Powder Mountain Rezone be in the Best Interest of Weber County? In regard to the proposed rezone for Powder Mountain, Save Our Canyons is opposed to it. An approval of the proposed re-zone would have an enormous impact on the land. Currently, 4,498.4 acres of the 4,555.4-acre area proposed for development (98.7%) is currently zoned as F-40 (1 residential unit allowed per every 40 acres of buildable property). The existing F-40, zoning has relatively minimal impact on the land, wildlife, and watershed, and should be preserved for a multitude of reasons as will be stated below. The requested re-zone to FV-3, and over 80 acres of commercial property (CV-1, and higher intensive CV-2) if approved, will result in enormous, unnecessary changes. The request is, in a word, excessive! Most alarming is the size of the proposed FV3 zone. It includes 2,546.1 acres of FV3 zone, a zone that allows for one single-family residence per three acres. The petitioner’s intention is to construct up to 500 single-family residences sprawling across the mountainside. The roads and all the baggage that comes along with developing in sensitive mountain areas will have an enormous impact on the watershed and wildlife habitat. It is obvious that most of the area under consideration is beautiful and worthy of even greater protection than afforded by open space (O1) zoning. Over the last few months, we have received numerous telephone calls and emails from both Save Our Canyon members, and non-members, expressing deep concern over the possible expansion of Powder Mountain. These have included calls from realtors, hunters concerned about the wildlife, downstream residents worried about the effects of development on water quality, and many others in Weber, Cache, and Salt Lake Counties. They love the land the way it is, which is primarily pristine. For the most part, it is our Cache and Weber County members who have brought this issue to the forefront. Issues to be considered include the following: · Ski Industry Development of large destination ski resorts at this time is rather foolhardy. Here are the facts: overall, Utah ski terrain has increased 44% since 1996, 500700 million dollars have been invested into Utah’s ski industry in the same period, but skier visits have not kept up with all this development. According to the Utah Ski Database report prepared by the Governor’s Office of Planning and Budget, the skiing industry in the U.S. has been stagnant for the last 20 years. In this same period, Utah’s Skier Market Share has grown from only 4.5% to 5.5%. During all this time, developers have been anticipating a large increase in the number of skier visits. Admittedly, the arrival of the Olympics has the potential to bring some added attention to local resorts, but this is a big “if” in an industry that has been stagnant for so long. This state of ski industry affairs has also contributed to dashed hopes in real estate. For example, The Canyons ski resort president was recently quoted as saying that the “pace of development is slower than we expected” (Salt Lake Tribune, Jan. 10, 2002). The article goes on to say that the “schedule for development needs to be scaled back because real estate sales have been slower than anticipated.” This seems to be the current regional trend. Now is not the time for large-scale mountain resort development. · Wildlife and Open Spaces In addition to being an incredibly scenic area, the area proposed for development is excellent wildlife habitat. With large projects such as this proposed development, wildlife will be negatively affected in ways that are often noticed only by those most affected. Developments usually force out big game species. New roads pose constant threats, and often fragment animal habitat because many species completely avoid roads. Invasive plant species are often unintentionally introduced during construction. With any large development, careful attention must be given to prevent the introduction of invasive plant species. At Alta, when landscape managers hauled fill dirt from the valley to a formerly pristine land area, a number of invasive plant species were unintentionally introduced. For the next several years, Alta personnel and volunteers worked to pull invasive weeds BY HAND. There are still invasive plant species at Alta (Source: Dr. Ty Harrison, Plant Ecologist, Westminster College). For an example of how invasive plant species can create havoc, examine what one of these alien species has done to the budget and land management priorities of the BLM and the USFS: Cheatgrass is the scourge of the intermountain west. This plant alone is the cause of countless acres of unproductive biomass, rampant out-of-control grass fires, and loss of valuable food sources for browsers such as elk and deer. The impacts of this proposed development are many, but something as seemingly innocuous as introduced plant species can effectively render a watershed unproductive and fire-prone. It would be prudent to ensure that fill dirt used should not contain invasive species. In addition, prevention of invasive species would also mean careful monitoring of disturbed soil areas, where invasive plant species are most likely to colonize. Disturbed soil areas entails the entire construction project. Only careful monitoring can protect this beautiful area from unnecessary changes. · Watershed As precious as gold in the west, particularly in drought years, water is the source of enormous controversy. Managing water for the benefit of all can be tricky business, but there is no question that ensuring that we have enough quality water is a top priority. Destination resorts these days often include uses of water that are imprudent WILKERSON FINE ART Wilkerson Fine Art featured artist, Desmond O'Hagan was profiled in Southwest Art Magazine's April 2002 issue. Check out the article and then visit the gallery to view in person Desmond O'Hagan's pastels and oils. (801) 745-9557 550 South 7800 East, Huntsville, UT 84317 Located in enchanting Ogden Valley at the South Fork Village, corner of Highway 39 and 500 South. Just minutes from Snowbasin. AMERICAN ART April Hours: Thursday - Saturday 11 - 6 p.m. After hours by appointment 19TH 20TH 21ST CENTURY Original Paintings Sculpture in a state as dry as ours. By far, the most single recreational source of water consumption is snowmaking. Another lavish and ignorant use of water in our dry state is on golf courses. Maintaining the perfect greenery of these facilities requires the consumption of enormous volumes of water. Though no one can blame snowmaking and golf courses alone as being the primary culprit of unneeded water projects like new dams and water pipes, they certainly make a significant contribution to creating a “need” for such projects. Ensuring the continued quality of water is also of indisputable importance. With any development, some deterioration of water quality would be inevitable, particularly during the construction phase. Large destination resorts, such as proposed for Powder Mountain, generally degrade water quality, due to many pollution sources including, but not limited to, chemicals used on golf courses and lawns, automobile exhaust fumes and oil, and road salt and erosion. Removal of these sediments and chemicals from open channels and groundwater can require expensive water purification. The Weber County Planning Commission and County Commissioners’ decision will affect all of us along the Wasatch Front. Save Our Canyons exists to voice the concerns of more than 1,000 citizens who comprise our membership. We urge the planning commission to recommend a no re-zone for this area or, at the very least, to recommend a more reasonable re-zone that would minimize the impact on the land. Please carefully consider whether the re-zone would really be in the best interest of Weber County, and Ogden Valley residents. For questions, contact Sander Lazar, sander@saveourcanyons.org Phone: 801-363-7283 Save Our Canyons 68 South Main Street Suite 4 Salt Lake City, UT 84101 Glass |
